Trump set to visit Ireland in September: Irish media

LONDON - US President Donald Trump is set to make a fleeting visit to his family’s golf course in Ireland in September for the Irish Open, local media reported on Aug 2.

He is expected to visit the golf course in Doonbeg, western Ireland around Sept 12, when the resort is set to host the Irish Open, the Press Association news agency and Irish broadcaster RTE news reported.

The Trump International Golf Links and Hotel is hosting the golf tournament from Sept 9 to 13.

He is also expected to visit Dublin, media reported, but details of his engagements were unconfirmed and the Irish prime minister’s office did not reply to AFP when asked whether the two leaders would meet.

Trump’s last visit to Ireland as president, in 2019, sparked protests from climate and other activists.

Ireland’s prime minister Micheal Martin visited the United States in March for an annual St Patrick’s Day trip, where he had a largely cordial meeting with Trump peppered with a few tense exchanges.

The two leaders visibly disagreed on issues ranging from the Iran war to migration.

Apart from historical ties, there are tight links between the two countries. A host of US tech and pharma giants have their European headquarters in the Emerald Isle.

Three American titans – Apple, Microsoft, and drug maker Eli Lilly – contributed an estimated half of Ireland’s corporate tax take in 2024.

Trump regularly combines diplomatic engagements with visits to his family’s international resorts, inaugurating a new golf course in eastern Scotland during a five-day trip in 2025.

The Doonbeg resort was targeted in 2025 by activists who dug up and planted Palestinian flags on two of the greens. AFP